NFL

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Colts vs. Vikings Sunday Night Football

Unsatisfied with their offensive production, the Indianapolis Colts made a bold move to try to bolster production for Week 9’s tilt versus the Minnesota Vikings. Indianapolis benched 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco, giving the veteran pivot the nod for Sunday Night Football. Assuredly, the Colts have been more effective with Flacco under center, but they face a stiff test in trying to get past a desperate Vikings squad. Just two weeks ago, Minnesota was undefeated and riding high atop the NFC North. But after two straight losses, they’ve been relegated to third in the ultracompetitive division. Consequently, neither team can afford a misstep if they want to stay in their respective playoff races.

This article will discuss two or more of my favorite NFL pick’ems from Sleeper Fantasy, where you can use Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Colts vs. Vikings

Sam Darnold More 31.5 Passing Attempts

This wasn’t even supposed to be Sam Darnold’s year. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick was signed as an insurance policy to back up the Vikings’ top pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, J.J. McCarthy. A preseason meniscus injury sidelined McCarthy for the entirety of his rookie campaign, forcing Darnold into action. The journeyman quarterback has responded with the best season of his career, vaulting him to the forefront of the Comeback Player of the Year conversation. Darnold will be looking to maintain his elite form in Sunday’s tilt versus the Colts.

Darnold is well on his way to setting new career benchmarks across the board. So far this season, he’s completing 67.2% of his passes for 8.5 yards per pass attempt and a 14-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, all career bests. They’ll have the opportunity to see the best Darnold has to offer against the Colts’ sub-optimal pass defense.

Indianapolis has been one of the worst teams at defending the pass this season. Through their first eight contests, the Colts are giving up 227.8 passing yards per game and a 68.4% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. As expected, those are bottom-tier metrics, with the playoff hopefuls sitting ninth and sixth-worst, respectively. Opponents are catching on to this inefficiency, averaging 32.0 pass attempts per game against the Colts. The only two teams to fall short of 34 pass attempts against the Colts over the past six weeks are the Miami Dolphins, sans Tua Tagovailoa, and the Tennessee Titans, neither of whom had the personnel to exploit Indianapolis’ vulnerability.

Minnesota has shouldered Darnold with more of the offensive burden lately. Over their last three games, the Vikings are calling passing plays 56.6% of the time, bringing their season-long average up to 53.4%. That percentage will grow again after Week 9, with Darnold unleashing an unforgiving offensive against the maligned Colts secondary. We’re forecasting the Vikings quarterback exceeding 31.5 pass attempts.

Joe Flacco Less 36.5 Passing Attempts

The Colts have asked a lot from Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old has appeared in four games for Indianapolis this season, starting two of those contests. However, the more concerning trend was his volume of passes across those two starts. Flacco had 44 pass attempts against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5, following that up with 38 more the following week against the Tennessee Titans. At face value, that implies that the Colts could ask Flacco to unleash his fury on Sunday Night Football; however, there are a few factors pointing toward a sharp decline in his pass attempts against the Vikings.

The most notable factor in Flacco’s pass-heavy appearances is that Jonathan Taylor wasn’t in the lineup for either one of his starts. The team had to rely on Trey Sermon as the feature back in Week 5 and 6, showing a clear preference for Flacco as opposed to their backup running back. We also can’t look past the Colts’ run-first mentality. Indianapolis ranks in the top half of the league in rushing play percentage, toting the ball 45.7% of the time. With Taylor back in the lineup, we are expecting a heavy dose of the ground game in Minnesota.

Lastly, while the Vikings secondary has been prone to the pass, they have also been exceptional at turning the ball over. Minnesota leads the NFL with 1.7 interceptions per game. As good as Flacco has looked in the autumn of his career, interceptions have always been a concern with him. He has a 2.4% interception percentage throughout his career and has thrown 12 interceptions across his last 11 starts. Shane Steichen will want to avoid any costly turnovers, keeping the ball in Taylor’s sturdy and capable hands.

From a game-script perspective, Indianapolis can’t afford to get into a run-and-gun game with the Vikings. As always, the goal is to keep Justin Jefferson, Sam Darnold, et. al off the field, controlling tempo and clock. As a result, we’re expecting Flacco to come up short of 36.5 passing attempts on Sunday Night Football.

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Unsatisfied with their offensive production, the Indianapolis Colts made a bold move to try to bolster production for Week 9’s tilt versus the Minnesota Vikings. Indianapolis benched 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco, giving the veteran pivot the nod for Sunday Night Football. Assuredly, the Colts have been more effective with Flacco under center, but they face a stiff test in trying to get past a desperate Vikings squad. Just two weeks ago, Minnesota was undefeated and riding high atop the NFC North. But after two straight losses, they’ve been relegated to third in the ultracompetitive division. Consequently, neither team can afford a misstep if they want to stay in their respective playoff races.

This article will discuss two or more of my favorite NFL pick’ems from Sleeper Fantasy, where you can use Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Colts vs. Vikings

Sam Darnold More 31.5 Passing Attempts

This wasn’t even supposed to be Sam Darnold’s year. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick was signed as an insurance policy to back up the Vikings’ top pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, J.J. McCarthy. A preseason meniscus injury sidelined McCarthy for the entirety of his rookie campaign, forcing Darnold into action. The journeyman quarterback has responded with the best season of his career, vaulting him to the forefront of the Comeback Player of the Year conversation. Darnold will be looking to maintain his elite form in Sunday’s tilt versus the Colts.

Darnold is well on his way to setting new career benchmarks across the board. So far this season, he’s completing 67.2% of his passes for 8.5 yards per pass attempt and a 14-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, all career bests. They’ll have the opportunity to see the best Darnold has to offer against the Colts’ sub-optimal pass defense.

Indianapolis has been one of the worst teams at defending the pass this season. Through their first eight contests, the Colts are giving up 227.8 passing yards per game and a 68.4% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. As expected, those are bottom-tier metrics, with the playoff hopefuls sitting ninth and sixth-worst, respectively. Opponents are catching on to this inefficiency, averaging 32.0 pass attempts per game against the Colts. The only two teams to fall short of 34 pass attempts against the Colts over the past six weeks are the Miami Dolphins, sans Tua Tagovailoa, and the Tennessee Titans, neither of whom had the personnel to exploit Indianapolis’ vulnerability.

Minnesota has shouldered Darnold with more of the offensive burden lately. Over their last three games, the Vikings are calling passing plays 56.6% of the time, bringing their season-long average up to 53.4%. That percentage will grow again after Week 9, with Darnold unleashing an unforgiving offensive against the maligned Colts secondary. We’re forecasting the Vikings quarterback exceeding 31.5 pass attempts.

Joe Flacco Less 36.5 Passing Attempts

The Colts have asked a lot from Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old has appeared in four games for Indianapolis this season, starting two of those contests. However, the more concerning trend was his volume of passes across those two starts. Flacco had 44 pass attempts against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5, following that up with 38 more the following week against the Tennessee Titans. At face value, that implies that the Colts could ask Flacco to unleash his fury on Sunday Night Football; however, there are a few factors pointing toward a sharp decline in his pass attempts against the Vikings.

The most notable factor in Flacco’s pass-heavy appearances is that Jonathan Taylor wasn’t in the lineup for either one of his starts. The team had to rely on Trey Sermon as the feature back in Week 5 and 6, showing a clear preference for Flacco as opposed to their backup running back. We also can’t look past the Colts’ run-first mentality. Indianapolis ranks in the top half of the league in rushing play percentage, toting the ball 45.7% of the time. With Taylor back in the lineup, we are expecting a heavy dose of the ground game in Minnesota.

Lastly, while the Vikings secondary has been prone to the pass, they have also been exceptional at turning the ball over. Minnesota leads the NFL with 1.7 interceptions per game. As good as Flacco has looked in the autumn of his career, interceptions have always been a concern with him. He has a 2.4% interception percentage throughout his career and has thrown 12 interceptions across his last 11 starts. Shane Steichen will want to avoid any costly turnovers, keeping the ball in Taylor’s sturdy and capable hands.

From a game-script perspective, Indianapolis can’t afford to get into a run-and-gun game with the Vikings. As always, the goal is to keep Justin Jefferson, Sam Darnold, et. al off the field, controlling tempo and clock. As a result, we’re expecting Flacco to come up short of 36.5 passing attempts on Sunday Night Football.

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NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Rules and My Favorite Angle for Sunday’s Wild Card Round betmgm bonus code nfl sundayNFL Wild Card Round DFS Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Rules and My Favorite Angle for the Divisional Round patrick mahomes, chiefs qbDaily Fantasy Football NFL DFS Picks: Landon’s Locks for the Divisional Round

About the Author

Born and raised in the barren ground of Canada, Grant White was nurtured by sports growing up. He spent years honing his betting craft before being joining FantasyLabs and Action Network in 2021. With a keen eye for value, Grant sets his sights on any perceived imbalance for a long-term winning edge.